Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 111 Forgotten Machines
"As expected, you can't pin your hopes on anyone..."

Han Su thought about what the red trench coat had said, and also wondered what would have happened if the Xu family hadn't helped this time.
Perhaps with the help of people like those in the red trench coat, I could also obtain an investigator's license.

But this is how you fall into their trap. While you can say one thing to someone and another behind their back, in this circle, who knows if the so-called "conditions" are already subject to some kind of invisible constraint the moment you agree to them?
If I don't agree, can't the other party easily prevent me from getting the license?
This disaster management bureau is really difficult to navigate...

Every step is fraught with pitfalls, and Zhang Chiguo's initial concerns about joining the Disaster Management Bureau have begun to surface.

Back in the apartment building, Han Su immediately poured himself a glass of water and placed it beside him. After waiting for a while, nothing seemed amiss.

He recalled the unusual incident he had witnessed at the Disaster Management Bureau and the domineering female voice, and thought to himself:

Miss Ai taught him a good lesson, and it seems to have had a significant effect. Does this mean that I no longer need to worry about this monster's spying on me for the time being?

However, he is also nearing the end of his transformation, and perhaps the next time he will face him directly.

Of course, there is another very important issue: Miss Ai not only approved my report, but also verified and cancelled the relevant files of the ghost truck. The pile of wreckage has also been sealed as irrefutable evidence.

So, could I try summoning a ghost truck at some point?

After all, the appearance of a ghost truck is always accompanied by dense fog, and even if someone does see it, the ghost truck is already quite different from the original one...

He temporarily suppressed the urge to leave the city and try it out right now. He first cleared his mind and pondered a few other questions:

Miss Ai reminded me of my right to reinstate the kidnapping case.

The woman in the red trench coat and the person behind her had tried to impose conditions to restrict me even before I was promoted to investigator.

Why do they all care so much?

They could determine the nature of this case back then, so why can't I do the same now that it's my turn?

……

Another problem is: "The stolen mechanical fragment is in the Lilac Mansion..."

"Whatever role this piece of machinery played in the kidnapping, I should get my hands on it..."

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the water glass, but there was still no movement inside.

It seems that spying will indeed no longer occur.

Han Su picked up his phone and dialed a number: "Assistant Xu, things are going relatively smoothly. The ghost truck should no longer be bothering Xu Ji."

“I know, Mr. Han, I must admit that you did an excellent job in handling this bizarre incident, and I look forward to your future at the Disaster Management Bureau.”

"There's no need for such words, Mr. Xu. Have you inquired about the Dingxiang Mansion matter for me?"

"..."

"This one……"

Upon hearing this, Assistant Xu paused for a moment and said, "I inquired about it the next day, but I must say, this matter seems to be more difficult than I expected. The owner of Dingxiang Mansion does not want to extend new invitations to others at the moment."

Han Su was taken aback for a moment: "Huh?"

To some extent, he had almost become accustomed to the Xu family's extraordinary abilities.

Now, you can't even get an invitation?
"I suspect it's because there's a private party being held at the Lilac Mansion tomorrow. The owner must value this party highly and doesn't want to extend new invitations to outsiders at this crucial time. If Mr. Han isn't in a hurry, it should be around three days later..."

Han Su interrupted him, saying, "I'm still a little anxious."

"I'm very curious, does the owner of this Lilac Mansion not even give face to the Xu family?"

Assistant Xu hesitated for a moment before saying, "There are indeed many proud people in Qinggang City. Although they maintain a good relationship with the Xu family, they don't need to listen to the Xu family's orders in everything."

"The occult expert I invited last time and the owner of this Lilac Mansion are both of this type."

"..."

Han Su recalled the old woman who had shattered the crystal ball, and formed a certain judgment about the owner of the Lilac Mansion.

It seems that outside of the Disaster Management Bureau, those with mysterious powers are not only the hostile, mysterious organizations that are only interested in bringing something into reality, but also a group of people who are more neutral.

In other words, both the old woman and the owner of the Lilac Mansion belonged to the old-school mystical scholars.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "So, what kind of private party is he planning to host?"

Assistant Xu breathed a sigh of relief. If Han Su insisted on getting that qualification through the Xu family, he would be in a very difficult position.

But when asked about other things, he was candid: "It's a sponsorship event for beauty queens, and many prominent people will be attending."

Han Su frowned: "Sponsorship Association, what is that?"

"They're just trying to make money."

Assistant Xu said, "Some people want to use money to enhance their reputation, some have encountered a problem that needs to be solved, some simply want to get into the circle and make connections, and some just want to get a close look at the beauty queen favorites."

"So everyone got together, put on their best clothes, said the nicest things, and saw if they could get any benefits out of it."

"..."

Han Su nodded and said, "Understood."

An idea flashed through my mind: perhaps we could just sneak in?

As he pondered, Assistant Xu spoke again, "Mr. Han, if you really want to enter the Lilac Mansion as soon as possible, there is a way, but this way..."

Why didn't you say so sooner if you had a solution?

Han Su asked, "What?"

Assistant Xu seemed a little hesitant, saying, "The Xu family has also been invited to this banquet. The master never participates in these things, but the young master can go. Perhaps you can enter the Lilac Mansion as the young master's assistant, but in that case..." He finally said, "It would be too disrespectful to you."

"?"

Han Su was speechless: "You rich people really think a lot..."

He's already considering illegal infiltration, yet he's worried about his identity?

"Please arrange this for me."

He spoke without any hesitation, but just before hanging up, a question suddenly came to mind.

That mechanical fragment is not a secret; there are reports, news articles, photos, and even demonstration videos. We should gather more information about it.

So he pondered for a moment and then said, "By the way, Assistant Xu, I know that you have a high level of knowledge and know many things that we don't. So, do you know anything about the mechanical fragment that was stolen from the Central City Science Museum ten years ago?"

Assistant Xu was visibly taken aback: "Mechanical fragments?"

Han Su said, "Yes, it was exhibited at the Zhongcheng Science and Technology Museum ten years ago, but it was suddenly stolen and even made it into the newspaper. The theft happened on the same day as our kidnapping case."

"..."

Assistant Xu's answer was somewhat confused. He asked, "A case of stolen mechanical fragments... is there one?"

A very strange feeling suddenly arose in Han Su's heart, and he slowly said, "You can search for it yourself."

"it is good."

Assistant Xu, somewhat bewildered, agreed. Then, amidst a series of crackling sounds, his voice suddenly turned surprised:
"Yes, the theft case, I saw it, but... I don't remember it."

Han Su's sense of unease deepened: "What do you mean?"

“I have studied your kidnapping case, and naturally I have studied all other potentially related cases.”

Assistant Xu replied with a mixture of frankness and confusion: "It was the master who asked me to conduct the investigation. After all, Mr. Han, you are involved in this matter and are deeply troubled by it. Moreover, you are the only true friend that the young master has ever had. Naturally, we have to keep an eye on you."

"But...but it's so strange. I investigated this mechanical fragment, and even reported it to the master, but you just mentioned it to me, and I've completely forgotten about it..."

"..."

"Ok?"

After listening carefully to Assistant Xu's account, Han Su's sense of unease even turned into a kind of absurdity.

After hanging up the phone, he pondered for a while before dialing Zhang Chiguo directly: "Uncle Zhang, I have something to ask you."

Do you remember a piece of machinery that was stolen from the Midtown Science Museum?

"..."

Zhang Chiguo sounded busy, and in the brief moment the call was answered, you could still hear the last words of his conversation with someone else: "Yes, even if we have to ask Miss Ai to unlock another lock, we must find the person who leaked the information."

Then came a slightly softer voice: "What mechanical fragments? Didn't I tell you to rest? There's no rush to do the mission."

Han Su interrupted the middle-aged man's rambling, saying, "Uncle Zhang, what do you think about the newly unearthed mechanical fragments that were stolen from the Central City Science Museum..."

"..."

Han Su didn't send the link, but Zhang Chiguo's voice was full of doubt: "Is that so?"

Beside him, it seemed that Secretary Cui Qiao, upon hearing his words, immediately searched online and then handed the tablet to him. Zhang Chiguo's voice suddenly became extremely strange: "Is it about this? Strange, I seem to..."

But he didn't speak immediately; instead, he said, "Wait for me a moment."

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps, followed by someone entering the office and rummaging through drawers.

When Zhang Chiguo's voice rang out again, it even carried a hint of confusion: "Xiao Han, why did you think of asking this?"

"I was working hard to investigate everything related to the kidnapping case, and that's how I came across this report."

Han Su had already confirmed something, and slowly said, "Uncle Zhang, didn't you notice this?"

"We've taken note of that."

Zhang Chiguo replied in a deep voice, and then said, "I even remember that I had specifically studied and investigated this theft case. Just now, I even found notes about this theft case in the deepest part of my drawer, which contained my analysis at the time."

"but……"

He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "I had completely forgotten about this before you brought it up with me."

“The notes are right there. I marked them as needing further investigation, suspected to be related to the kidnapping case, but in fact… So many years have passed, and I completely forgot to keep an eye on this theft case and forgot to continue investigating it.”

“I even went through my notes to review the case, but I didn’t notice the relevant parts in the notes.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Han Su's suspicions were completely confirmed. He was so shocked that he could hardly describe it, and he hung up the phone.

Understood!
Only now did he fully understand why Song Chushi said that only a portion of people would remember this mechanical fragment.

This thing can actually make people completely forget about it?
Its existence, and the reports of its theft, have always been honestly documented online and in newspapers.

Some people have seen it, some have investigated it, but in the blink of an eye, these people have completely forgotten its existence and can't remember anything about it...

This is fucking bizarre.

If we follow the Disaster Management Bureau's usual practice and understand it in terms of rank, then what rank should this mechanical fragment, which is constantly affecting countless people in Qinggang City, be considered?
(End of this chapter)